1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to protectant application to carpets and fabrics. In one of its aspects, the invention relates to a hand-held nozzle attachment for an upright deep cleaner or extractor. In another of its aspects, the invention relates to an upright deep cleaner or extractor with spray applicator for applying a solution, such as stain repellant or other treatment, to a surface. In another of its aspects, the invention relates to a method for applying a liquid protectant to a carpet or fabric surface.
2. Description of the Related Art
Upright deep cleaners or extractors are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,041,472 and 6,081,962. These prior art upright deep cleaners include an above-floor cleaning nozzle fluidly connected to the cleaner by vacuum and fluid delivery conduits, for applying a cleaning solution to an above-floor surface being cleaned and for extracting fluid from the surface being cleaned after application of the cleaning solution. The cleaning solution applied to the surface being cleaned is generally a mixture of water and a detergent. The mixture is either combined in a mixing valve in the body of the deep cleaner or in a clean solution tank of the deep cleaner. The solution is then pumped through the fluid delivery conduit either to the floor or to an above-floor surface being cleaned. The operator of the upright deep cleaner also has the option of omitting the detergent solution so that only water is pumped through the fluid delivery conduit.
After deep cleaning of a floor or above-floor surface with a deep cleaner, such as an upright deep cleaner, it is desirable in many cases to apply or refresh a protective coating, such as a stain repellant or other treatment, to the surface cleaned. Scotchgard(trademark) by 3M(trademark) is one such known treatment. Prior art devices, separate from the upright deep cleaner, are known for this purpose.
It would be advantageous to remove the requirement for a separate protectant-applying machine and take advantage of the capabilities of the upright deep cleaner that is already in use, and already at the location of the surface to be treated, to apply a protectant or other treatment to the cleaned surface.
According to the invention, a portable surface cleaning apparatus comprises a base housing adapted for movement along a surface to be cleaned, an upright handle pivotally mounted to the base housing, a liquid dispensing system mounted at least in part to the base housing and including a fluid supply tank, a liquid recovery system including an above-floor hose fluidly connected at one end to a recovery tank and having an open end, the above-floor hose carrying a liquid supply conduit and mounting an above-floor liquid dispenser including a spray nozzle at the open end thereof. According to the invention, a fluid reservoir is mounted to the above-floor liquid dispenser for dispensing a fluid onto a surface and a fluid reservoir pump is mounted to the above-floor liquid dispenser for drawing fluid from the reservoir and for spraying the fluid onto the surface along with fluid from the liquid supply tank.
The liquid dispensing system typically can be the type that includes a floor liquid dispenser associated with the base housing for applying liquid to a floor surface to be cleaned, a liquid supply tank for holding a supply of cleaning liquid, a liquid supply conduit fluidly connected to the liquid supply tank and to a floor liquid dispenser for supplying a cleaning fluid to the floor dispenser.
The liquid recovery system is typically of the type that includes a recovery tank mounted on the base housing and having a liquid recovery chamber for holding recovered liquid, a suction nozzle associated with the base housing and adapted to draw dirty liquid from the surface to be cleaned, a working air conduit extending between the recovery chamber and the suction nozzle and a vacuum source in fluid communication with the recovery chamber for generating a flow of working air from the nozzle through the working air conduit, or alternatively from the open end of the above-floor hose, and through the recovery chamber to thereby draw dirty liquid from the surface to be cleaned through the nozzle and working air conduit, or from the open end of the above-floor hose and into the recovery chamber to thereby recover the dirty liquid from the surface to be cleaned.
In one embodiment, the liquid recovery system further comprises a switch for selectively operating the vacuum source independent of the pump.
Preferably, the fluid reservoir pump is an aspirator. Further, the above-floor liquid dispenser is without a suction nozzle opening and preferably has a vent opening for venting suction in the hose to the atmosphere.
In a preferred embodiment, the above-floor liquid dispenser and the reservoir have a quick connect mechanism for removably mounting the reservoir to the second liquid dispenser. The quick connect mechanism includes an open neck on an upper portion of the reservoir. Further, a cap is adapted to mount to the open neck of the reservoir when the reservoir is removed from the above-floor liquid dispenser for sealing the reservoir when the reservoir is removed from the above-floor liquid dispenser. In one embodiment, the neck is threaded and the cap is threaded onto the neck. Further, the reservoir is vented through the threads on the neck. The quick connect can take a number of different forms and in a preferred embodiment is a bayonet connection.
The invention is designed to spray a liquid surface protectant composition onto a carpet or fabric surface. To this end, a body of a liquid surface protectant composition is in the reservoir. The liquid surface protectant can be a liquid stain repellent composition or a liquid miticide composition.
Further according to the invention, a spray applicator for attachment to a portable surface cleaning apparatus having a combination vacuum hose and fluid delivery conduit comprises a unitary body having a suction opening at one end adapted to mount to an open end of the vacuum hose and further having a nozzle pressure conduit that is adapted to fluidly connect to a fluid delivery conduit at one end thereof, a reservoir mounted to the unitary body, a spray nozzle connected to another end of the nozzle pressure conduit, and a fluid reservoir pump in the nozzle pressure conduit and connected to the reservoir for drawing fluid from the reservoir and mixing the reservoir fluid with liquid in the nozzle pressure conduit for spraying a mixture of fluid from the reservoir and fluid from the fluid delivery line onto a surface.
The unitary body preferably includes a vent connected to the suction opening for venting suction in the vacuum hose to atmosphere and is void of a suction nozzle. In a preferred embodiment, the fluid reservoir pump is an aspirator.
A body of liquid protectant is within the reservoir. The liquid protectant can be a liquid stain repellent composition or a liquid miticide composition.
The unitary body and the reservoir have a quick connect mechanism for removably mounting the reservoir to the second liquid dispenser. In a preferred embodiment, the quick connect mechanism includes an open neck on an upper portion of the reservoir and the quick connect is a bayonet connection. Further, a cap is adapted to mount to the open neck of the reservoir when the reservoir is removed from the second liquid dispenser for sealing the reservoir when the reservoir is removed from the second liquid dispenser. Desirably, the neck is threaded and the cap is threaded onto the neck. Further, the reservoir is vented through the threads on the neck.
The reservoir can take a number of different shapes. In one embodiment, the reservoir has a generally cylindrical sidewall, a bottom wall and a top wall. A portion of the bottom wall extends at an acute angle to the side wall at a position beneath the spray nozzle. Preferably, the acute angle is in the range of about 30 to 60 degrees. In a specific embodiment, the acute angle is about 45 degrees.
Still further according to the invention, a portable surface cleaning apparatus has a housing, a first tank connected to the housing has a body of a liquid protectant composition therein, a second tank mounted to the housing has a body of water therein, and a spray nozzle in fluid communication with each of the first and second tanks for applying a mixture of the liquid protectant and water to a surface. Preferably, a fluid delivery system has an inlet in fluid communication with each of the first and second tanks and an outlet in fluid communication with the spray nozzle spray nozzle for delivering the mixture of protectant and water to the spray nozzle for spraying a mixture of the liquid protectant and water onto the surface to be treated. In one embodiment of the invention, the fluid delivery system is an aspirator
In a preferred embodiment, a mixing valve has a pair of inlets in fluid communication with each of the first and second tanks and an outlet in fluid communication with the fluid delivery system. In one embodiment, the mixing valve is selectively adjustable to control the relevant amount of protectant composition in the mixture delivered to the spray nozzle.
The protectant composition can be a stain repellant, a miticide composition or a mildew repellant, or any mixture thereof.
In one embodiment, the first tank is connected to the housing through a suction hose. In another embodiment of the invention, the first tank is mounted on the housing. In the latter embodiment, the fluid delivery system includes a pump that is mounted on the housing and supplies water under pressure to the spray nozzle.
The portable surface cleaning apparatus according to one embodiment of the invention is the type that has a fluid recovery system which includes a suction nozzle mounted to the housing, a recovery tank mounted to the housing, a working air conduit extending between the recovery chamber and the suction nozzle; and a vacuum source in fluid communication with the recovery tank for generating a flow of working air from the nozzle through the working air conduit and through the recovery chamber to thereby draw dirty liquid from the surface to be cleaned through the nozzle and working air conduit and into the recovery tank.
Still further according to the invention a method of applying a liquid protectant solution to a surface comprises the steps of:
placing the liquid protectant solution into a dispensing tank in an extraction cleaning machine which includes the dispensing tank, a dispenser for applying a fluid to a surface to be cleaned in fluid communication with the dispensing tank, and wherein the extraction cleaning machine further includes a liquid recovery system for recovering soiled liquid from a surface on which a liquid cleaning solution had been applied; and
dispensing the liquid protectant solution in the dispensing tank onto the surface through the dispenser as the extraction cleaning machine is moved over the surface.
Preferably, the liquid protectant solution is applied to a carpeted floor. The liquid protectant solution is preferably a liquid stain, mildew repellent composition, a miticide composition or mixtures thereof.
In one embodiment, the method of applying a liquid protectant solution to a surface further comprises the step of disabling the liquid recovery system prior to the dispensing step. Preferably, the dispensing step comprises spraying. In one embodiment, the dispensing step includes pumping the liquid protectant solution under pressure to the dispenser.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, a portable surface cleaning apparatus comprises a base housing adapted for movement along a surface to be cleaned, an upright handle pivotally mounted to the base housing, a liquid dispensing system mounted at least in part to the base housing and a liquid recovery system. The liquid dispensing system includes a liquid dispenser associated with the base housing for applying liquid to a surface to be cleaned, a liquid supply tank with a body of a liquid protectant solution and connected to the liquid dispenser for supplying the liquid protectant solution to the liquid dispenser; and a fluid pump for delivering the liquid protectant solution from the liquid supply tank to the liquid dispenser.
The liquid recovery system comprises a recovery tank mounted on the base housing and having a liquid recovery chamber for holding recovered liquid, a suction nozzle associated with the base housing and adapted to draw dirty liquid from the surface to be cleaned, a working air conduit extending between the recovery chamber and the suction nozzle and a vacuum source in fluid communication with the recovery chamber for generating a flow of working air from the nozzle through the working air conduit through the recovery chamber to thereby draw dirty liquid from the surface to be cleaned through the nozzle and working air conduit, and into the recovery chamber to thereby recover the dirty liquid from the surface to be cleaned.